Samsung intros 30nm, low-power DDR3 memory

Samsung's 30nm DDR3 DRAM chips have successfully completed customer evaluation and will enter mass production in the second half of this year -- before rivals. PCWorld reports that while IM Flash Technologies, owned by Micron and Intel, is ahead of Samsung with 25nm technology for flash memory, the company doesn't make DRAM.

The Korean electronics maker says its latest 2Gb (256MB) DDR3 chips consume 30% less power than 50nm parts, and can be produced at more than double the cost-efficiency. The 30nm technology also boosts productivity by 60% over 40nm DDR3 chips. The new chips run at 1.35V or 1.5V, and in a typical notebook, a 4GB DDR3 module is said to consume only three watts per hour.